Numbering and counting device



Sept. 18, 1928. 1,684,545

w. w. LAsKER NUMBERING AND COUNTING'DEVICE Filed May 15. 1924 4 sheets-sheet 1 Sept. 18, 1928-.

W. W. LASKER NUMBERING AND COUNTING DEVICE Filed May 15, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet my m Man* LASKER Sept. 18, 1928.

NUMBERING AND COUNTING DEVICE Filed May 15, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 WAY.

IN VEN TOR j Sept. 18, 1928.

W. W. LASKER NUMBERING AND COUNTING DEVICE Filed May l5, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 pf. H. mm .m 4 j M/ mwo 3% 1/l/1W0IZ l 5 wn, m, f

Patented Sept. 18, 1928.v

UNITED STATES 1,684,545 PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM W. LASKER, F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS,. T0 REMINGTON BAND INCQOF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

NUMBERING y.AND COUNTING DEVICE.

Application led May 15, 1924. Serial No. 713,534.

. The present invention relates to printing devices for numbering' pieces yof material and more particularly to the numbering and. counting of cards such as employed with accounting machines. Cards of this character are subdivided by printed fields of numbers or other characters, each field corresponding to some predetermined class, characteristic, item, account or any object or subject regarding which statistical data is desired. Thus each card is punched orv perforated in each field according to the data or symbol to be tabulated after which the cards are tabulated on machines designed /to function in response to the prearranged card perforations.

Some ofthe objects of the present inven tion are to provide means for automatically printing a number on each card so that the cardsy are not only separately identified by different numbers but-the punched data is in this way correlated to the numbered cards; to provide means for counting the number of cards passed through the printing numbering device; to providemeans operating in conjunction with a card numbering device for detecting cards which are being improperly fedior are out of register and causing the numbering device to become inoperative in so far as numbering that particular card is concerned; to provide' means for causing a card numbering device to function only when cards are being fed-l and which properly register in the machine; to provide means for causing consecutive numbering of a plurality of cards, said means being arranged to be rendered inoperative for a series .of cards which fall under the same number; to provide means for giving the total number of cards passing through ya machine regardless of the numbers printed on the cards; and to provide other improve-i `numbering device; Fig.

card punching machine comprising a head 6. (Fig. 2), operated by a. lever 7 from a cam 8 onthe main .shaft'as shown in U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,305,557 granted June 3, 1919 to W. W. Lasker. This'head supports card supporting and registering plates 10 and 11 spaced to provide between them a card path 12. The card enters the card path 12 at the entrance 13 and leaves'at the exit 14 and is lfed through by the act-ion of friction rollers 15 and 16 operating through the slotted plate l()- in conjunction with upper rollers 17 and 18 arranged respectively in the same vertical plane. The rollers 17 and 18 are mounted respectively on arms 20 and 21 which are pivoted to the movable head carrying the plates 10 and 11, so that the two rollers 17 .and 18 move with the card during the punching or perforating operation and hold it inconjunction with the lower friction rollers 15 and 16; It will be understood that the plates lO'and 11 Garry the card between them into engagement with the punches or perforating mechanism which is acting upon the card, and after this is completed the plates 10 and 11 return to theirv former position and lthe card is fed out lby way of the opening-14.

For the purpose of successively and consecutively numbering the cards after the perforating operation, a numbering lprinting device 22 is provided and mounted at a convenient location in the present instance upon the ejector plate 23 whlch is arranged to receive the cards after the perforating operation and deliver them successively to a suitable magazine or stacking device. This numbering printing device 22 may be of any los 24 moving in a frame 25 so that numbers are impressed consecutively upon successive y cards byv'themovement of thecarrier 24 throulgh' he 'face openingl 26 of the frame n the present construction, the printing numbering devicevv 22 is shown as 'of the plunger type having a handle 27 whichl in the ordinary use of the device unctions to cause the carrier 24 to travel to the impression position, and when released returns the carrier 24 to its initial position whereby its mechanism causes the numbering unit to,

carrler 24 to take place at'the proper time to impress a number upon a card leaving the perforating machine.

In order to actuate' the plate 2 3, it is mounted at its ends upon vrock arms 28, which are pivoted at 29 to the main frame,

and one of which has Va cam groove 30, (Fig.

3), formed therein to receive a cam abutment head 31 projecting to one side of a bell crank 32 pivoted at 33 to a fixed part. The-opposite arm of the bell crank 32 is connected b 1 a link 34 with an eccentric strap 35 whic is mounted about an eccentric 36 of the'main operating shaft 37, andin consequence the movement of the link 34 causes the bell crank 32 to rock in a direction to shift therod 31 within the cam groove 30. On an ejecting action, therefore, the rock arm 28- -turns counter-clockwise so that the ejector plate `23 is swung corres ondingly andl thus carries the card away rom the perforating mechanism and delivers it to a suitable receptacle n adjacent the discharge end of the plate 23. The ejector plate 23 therefore has a continnous rocking movement which lis .so v`timed with respect tothe feed of the cards that it assumes its card receiving sition adjacent the exit 14 just as the car is discharged therefrom. When the card is received the ejector plate 23 moves away on its discharge or ejecting stroke which takes place While the next succeeding card yis being punched or otherwise oplerated upon by the machine. In this way t e cards are successively removed and delivered to the receptacle one at a time in stacked relation.

In order to cause the number printing carrier 24 to move to its impressing position upon a card, it has a pull rod 40, (Fig. 7)

plvoted at one end to it, the other end oi j which terminates in a latch 41 which is normally held b a sprin 42 in a path to intercept a catc lug 43, Fig. 6), formed as a lateral projection of a finger 44. The finr 44 1s pivoted at 45 to a slide plate 46,

Figs. 2 and 8),- and has its opposite end ormed with a hook or lug 47 to receive an `end of a spring 48 which is so secured to a fixed part as to be under the required tension to operate the plate 46 when the latter ent instance, the movement of' the r in a direction to cause the latch 54 to swingcounter-clockwise will release it froml the` contact with it.

to thus prevent the rod 40.',frommovillg'- with the frame 25 of the printing and numbering device. The slide 46 is shdably sup-l ported by suitable slots 49 riding respectively on -pins 50 ii'xed to a frame part and' Yisjpro-A vided,4 with a laterall projecting pin; lil-inf# ranged to 'be actuate in one direction by l operatinglink 52 and in the o positefdireca spring mally the catch 43 is held out of the ath the spring 48 in conjunction.. with 53 connected to the hook 47 Nor-' l` of the latch 41 because the slide 46 is l elfd-` retracted against tension of the springs'48 and 53 by means of a latch 54' engaging at one end with a notch 55. in theslide 46', .the

said latch being pivoted intermediatey of its ends and having its opposite endconnectedto an operating rodI 56, the actuation of.

which will be later explained. 'In the resnotch55 and thereupon the releasedV slidev 46v with its attached finger 44;snaps tofthe left, as seen in Fig. A1,`unti1 its movement'is stopped by the slots 49 coming into contact with the `pins 450 as shown in' Fig. 2. In this stopped psition the catch 43 4is directly in the path o the latch 41, andy consequently, when the ejector plate 23fis swungjin a counter-clockwise direction', thelatch 41 .en-4v ages the catch 43 and is prevented from ollowing the movement and therefore/the numbering carrier 24 is held stationary while the frame25 and VVits adjuncts move relative to it and allow vthe'set number to bel printed when the card is' brought into For detecting a card and causing the rod 56 to be actuated, the upper end ofthe rod 56 is connected to a trip bar 57, (Fig. 4),

pivoted at 58 on the yprojecting end of a push pin 61 which is mounted for endwise sliding movement i-n a suitable frame '62,

(Figs.- 1, 2 and 3)'. `The pin 61. is provided on its inner endwith a head 63, which -forms an abutment for one .endof a coil spring 64, the opposite end of which 'isl under compression against the frame 62 ,and thus holds the trip bar 57` normally in a predetermined position. The tri bar-'5,7 vis l'normally so located that it is in'one;` path of movement of a trip lug65, which-forms onearm ofa bell crank vlever of vwhichfthe opposite armis the arm 21 for 4supporting the roller 18, and the arrangement is-such that when there 1s a card in the card passage 12, the roller 18 will be spaced from the roller-16 as shown in Figure 2 a distance equal to the thickness of the card and 'consequently the arm 65 will be swung to a position where it will engage leo e remain in contact with the roller 16 and thev of the-trip bar57 as is apparent from Flig'-,v

i fhetriptaif57"wi1en the are plates 1o `and 11 vmove ,for `aperforat ing operation: On the other hand, when there is no'card-ln the ycard passage 12 or when the card AJin the ures l and 2 and the latter will not be operated onthatstrokeof the 'perforatingmechf ithe bell crankcarriedrollerlS form a de- ,upon Ithe? rollers A90 but yiel ejector plate 23 comprise, in the present inl stance, feed rollers 90 driven from a shaft 91 and friction. rollers 92 mountedl in piv oted holders 93 so that'the normally rest when a cardis fed between them and the rollers `90.V The two sets of feed rollersl 90 and 92are so lo? cated with'respect to ,the receiving position of the plate 23 as to deliver acard directly thereon.' The plate 23 is likewise provided withfeed rollers which are preferably'so located and 'ari-an ed asv to engage the'front tecting or card-sensing'mechanism bywhichv .edge'of the car before its rear edge haSp the numberingy and printing device is cntrolled, and as a.' result as long as cards'a're fed re larlyand 'are properly registered they will vbe'printed wit properly register' the numbering and printing device vdoes not function. For the purpose of counting the number of cards .passing through the perforating,ma--` chine any suitable counting mechanism may be employed, that here illustrated being a Veeder counter which operates by'means of a reciprocable rock arm 71 so thateach stroke adds one number to the total shown` on 4an indicator 72, (Fig.v 4): The rock arm 71 is connectedby an operating rod 73 to one end of a leverV 74 which is pivoted upon the pin 51 and has an operatingend 75 arranged 1n one position of thelever 74-to be in theV path of movement of a trip pin 76,v (Figs. 3, 4 and 5)y fixed to and laterally projecting from the 'arm 32. The pin 51 extends throughl a slot 77, (Fig. 2), in .the link .52 and the lost motion connection allows the link 52 to move relative to the slide 46 when' the link52 returns after an operating stroke. Motion is transmitted to the llink 52 by a pivoted rocker bar 78, the freeend of whichterminates in a roller riding on the 'face of a cam 8 1 mounted on the shaft k37. A spring82 `is arranged to hold the roller 80 in contact with the. cam 81. andthe motion imparted tothe-link 52 is a periodic one so timed as to return the slide 46 after each numbering` and counting step.

As a` means` for'zrendering the printing numbering device=-22 and the counterr70 inoperative' during-the passage of a card `or cards .through the perforating machine, a rod 83 preferablyfo a flexible type is mount,-

ed for slidingl movement with one end in alignment with the inner ,end of the push pin 61, while its opposite end is in the path of movement of a plunger 84 which extends to a convenient place for manual operation and terminates 1n a handle knob 85 which -also serves as an abutment for a coil spring 86 so that the plunger 84 is normally held retracted. A stop 87 is attached to the yplunger84 to limit its outward movement under the action -of the spring 86.

The means whereby a card is fed to the numbers consecfuff tively, but when `acard fails to feed ordoes -not j 94 so lthat the latter ejector tcred the card distance equal to the thickness of the card.

assed out of the feed rollers 90 and 92.

he plate rollers consist of two rollers 94 80 mounted upon and driven by afshaft 95 which extendsbelowand parallel .to the face of the plate 23, spaced therefrom a distance less than' t e radiusfof'the rollers '.suitably journalledA to move with the'plate 23 and is driven a gear 100, (Fi s. 3 and 5)', keyed thereon and in mesh Wit a ,rela- A project through suitably tively large idle gear 101 which receives its 05 motion from a gear 102 onthe driven `feed i shaft 91. In order that due allowance-may v be made forthe change `of center ofthe gear 101 dueto the'rocking vmotion of the gear" 100, the gear y101 is journalled on a pivot 103 [common t0 ltwo links 104 and 105 which serve as supports from the respective shafts 91 and 95. rollers and 92 and is received upon the plate 23 where its front edge passes'V between the rollers 94 and 97 soV that thel card is fed into position upon the platcand comes to rest against stop lingers 106, (Figs.-1 and v5) 'In this position the yfriction rollers -97' remain idle .but when'the plate 23vmove's to the ejectinf]r position lthe card passes beyond the. ends o the fingers 106 and the frictional action of the-rollers 97 is then effective,k to discharge the cardfinto tacle. a `2 t .e

, In' describing the operation of the device, it will first be assumed that a card has enpassage 12 of .the `.card vregister plates 10- and 11 oftheperforating machine and is registered accurately for the punching operation. The `feeding in of the the adjacent` recep- 1pm g Thus a card leaves the feed lua card has been eii'ectedby the -feed rollers 15 i `and 16in conjunction with the top rollers 17 l and 18 and these latter are moved upward a As a result the arm 21- swings in ythe direction to locate the trip arm 65 beneaththe trip bar e l 57 and therefore when the plates 10 and 11 move upward on the card punching stroke the` triparm 65 will engage thetrip bar 57 Ipact the spring 53 is provided and swing it about the pin 61 to cause'the rod 56 to release the latch 54. `When the latch 54 is removed from the locking notch 55 the slide 46 is released so that the spring 48 draws it and the finger 44 to a new position where the catch lug 43 is in the upward Vpath of movement of the latch 41of the pull rod 40 attached to the movable printing numbering unit.V The movement of the slide 46 is transmitted by the pin 51 to the lever 74 which shifts to a position Where its end is in the Apath of the pin 76 and Whe'nthe latter trips the lever 7 4 the rod 73 is actuated to rock the crank 71 for a Working stroke of the counter mechanism 70. y

As soon as the card perforating step has taken place the card is fed out of the passage 12 and is transferred by feed rollers 90 and-9210 the ejector plate 23 Where it is ,in |the path of the printing numbering unit 24.. At this time, the eccentric 36 Vreaches a'position whereiit causes the link 34 and arm 32 tojvmove the head 31 along the cam path 30 and thereby swing the ejector plate in acounter-clockwise direction.v The frame 25 of the card printing numbering mechanism moves with the ejector plate 23 but the printing unit 24 is prevented from followinrrgthe' moveinent because the pull rod 40 is lield by the engagement of the latch 4l with the catch lug 43. Consequently, when the card reaches the printing face of the unitf 24,` it has the number, which `is set in the unit, impressed upon its face. In order to allow for a cushioning of the im ression mtween the finger 44 and slide 46. When the counting and numberingof the-card has taken place, j 4the cam controlled link 52 is shifted in the direction to return the plate 46 to its normal position and thereby removes the catch lug 43 from the latch 42 so that the numbering unit is released. Also the lever 74 moves out ofv the path o f the trip .pin 76 .ready to be controlled by the next card.

In case a card fails to feed into the passage 12 and the perforating machine operv ates without a card, the upward movement of the plates 10 and 11 will take place without any change in the osition of the trip arm 65. In other wor s, the roller 18 in the absence of a card is restino` on the roller 16 and the trip arm 65 there ore moves u ward in a path to one side of the trip bar 5%. As a 'result there is no release of the slide plate 46 and the catch lug 43 remains out of the path of the latch 41 and the lever 74 also 'out of the path of the in 76 so there is no relative movement of t ie printing unitI fore the machine only nctions for numof movement of the trip arm 65 When the arm 65 is set by a card. Thus one. card or a series of cardsfcan be perforated Without numbering and printing upon them, thus making it possible to number one card only of a series of repeated perforated cards, the balance being passed through Without numbering and printing. At any time therefore the operator can render the printing numbering mechanism inoperative While cards are still passing through the perforating machine.

It .will new be apparent that a complete unitary irinting numbering and card counting mecliaiiism has been devised for c ard pelrforating machines or any other machines through which cards are fed automatically. The numbering mechanism of the present invention is arranged to operate inconjunccard position in the machine directly con- ,tiols the operation of the numbering printing device so that where there is a defective feed of the card the numbering printing device Will not operate and the serial numbered position of the numbering device Will be maintainedl Furthermore, provision Yis made'for totaling'the number of cards which ass through the machineand are automatically numbered and printed, and this totalizing counter is so arranged ,with respect to the numbering device 'that if a card is passed through the machine Without being numbered, it is not counted.

Although but one form is shown in which' this invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to any specific construction, but might be applied to various forms without departing fromtlie spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims. ffl' Having thus ,described my invention, I claim:

l. In a mechanismof the character stated,

the combination of a machine having a reciprocable registration device for separately acting upon a series of cards, means for printing numbers on said cards, and means actuated by a cardin said device for perniitting said printing means to function.

2. In a machine of `the character stated, the`coinbination of a machine having a reciprocable registration device for separatelyA acting upon a series of cards, means for counting the number of cards passing through said registration device, and means actuated by a card in said device for permitting said counting means to function.

3. In a mechanism of thel character stated, the combination of a machine having a recipiocable registration device for separately acting upon a series of cards, means for printing numbers on said cards, and means actuated by a card in said device for edecting operation of said printing means.

l. In a machine of the character stated, the combination of a machine having a reciprocable registration device for separately acting upon a series of cards, means'for counting the number of cards passing through said registration device, and means actuated by a card in said device for eiecting operation of said counting'means.

5. In a mechanism of the character stated, the combination offa machine having a reciprocable registration device for separately acting upon a series of cards, means for printing numbers on said cards, a counting mechanism for totaling the number of cards printed, common 'means for latching said printing means and said counting mechanism to prevent operationn thereof, and means actuated by a card in said device for releasing said latching means to permit said printing means and said counting means to function.

6. In a mechanism of the character stated, the combination of a machine. having a vre-` ciprocable registration device for separately acting upon a series of cards, means for printing numbers on said cards, and means for preventing operation of said printing means when said device reciprocates in the i absence of a card.

means.

8. In a mechanism o f the character stated, the combination of a reciprocable registration device for a card perforating machine, means for feeding cards successively t0 said machine, means for printing numbers on said cards, and means including a trip device operated by said registration device for 'controlling said printing means, said trip device functioning to operate said printing means when a card is in said machine and failing to operate said printing means when a card is misfed or no card is in said -machine.

9. In a mechanism ofthe character stated, the combination of a Areciprocable registrastated, the combination of a reciprocable registration device for a card perforating machine, means for feeding cards successively to said machine, Ameans including a frame and a movable unit for printing num` bers on said cards, means for 'reciprocating said frame and unit, a card detecting device, and means operated by said detecting device` for controlling the movement of said movable unit whereby a printing operation takes place only when a card is in ,saidmachine. 11. In a mechanism of the character stated, the combination of a reciprocable registration device for a card perforating machine, means for feeding cards successively to said` machine, means including a frame and a movable unit'for printing numbers on said cards, means for reciprocating said frame and unit, and means operated by reciprocation of said dev1ce under control of 'a card in said machine for holding saidl movable unit in printing position.while said` frame moves whereby a number is printed on said card.

lll'

12. In a mechanism of the character.

stated, the combination of a reciprocable registration device for a card perforating machine, means for feeding cards successively to said machine, means for counting the total number of cards, and means including los a trip device for controlling said counting means, said trip device being operated by said registration device to control'said counting device when a card is in said machine and failing to operate said counting means When a card is misfed or no card is in said machine.

13. In a mechanism of the character stated, the combination .of a reciprocable registration device for a card perforating machine, means for feeding cards successively to said machine, means for printing numbers on said cards, a device for counting the total number ,of printed cards, and means including a card detecting mechanism for controlling said printing means and said counting device, said detecting mechanism being operated by lsaid registration device to cause an operation of said printing means and said counting dev1ce when a. card is in said machine and failing to cause an operation of said counting means and said print-' ing means when a card is misfed or n0. .card is in said machine.

f means for automaticall7 lsaid registration device 14. In a mechanism of the character stated, the combination ,of a machine for separately acting upon a seriesl of cards, counting the total number of cards, an plunger operated mean' for rendering said counting means inoperative at will while said machine is operating.

, 15. In a mechanism of the character stated, the combination of a machine for separately acting upon a series of cards, means for printing niunbers on said cards,

-means for automatically counting the total 'number of cards, an

mean for renderingsaid counting means inoperative at will while said machine is operating. Y

16. In a mechanism of the character stated, the combination of a vertically reciprocable card registration device, a feeding mechanism for successively feeding Vcards through said device, a printing element arranged to be operated to print on said cards,

' means for permitting the actuation of said means travellingwith for operating said permitting means when a card is in register in said device. Y

17. In a mechanism of the character stated, the combination of a vertically reciprocable card registration device, a feeding printing element, and

lby said registration plunger operated p mechanism for successively feeding cards through said device, a printing element arranged to be operated to print on sadcards means for permitting the actuation of said printing element, and a trip means carried device and arranged to move in a path to intercept and operate said permitting means when a card is in register, and to move in a ath to one side of said permitting means w ien a card is out of register or in the absence of a card.

' 18. In a mechanism of the character stated, the combination of a vertically Areciprocable card-registration device, a feeding mechanism for successively feeding cards through said device, a printing element arranged to be operated to print on said cards, a counting device associated with said parts, means including a trip bar for causing operation of said printing element and said countin device', and a tri lug pivoted to said registration devicean arran ed in the absence of a card to travel out o -the path of said trip `bar but in the presence of a card to be rejected into the ath of said trip bar where y said printing e ement and counting device are caused to'function. l

Signed at Philadelphia, count of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, t is 5th day -of May, 1924.

WILLIAM W. LASKER. 

